Dude

We went for a walk at the State Park a couple weeks ago. It was a lovely day and I had the kids in capris (okay, I don't know what you call boys' capris. Surely not capris, but they were definitely not shorts and certainly not pants that were too short - so????) and short sleeved shirts. As a last thought I grabbed jackets for both of them in case it was cooler by the lake.

Both kids had sunglasses on in the car, and by the time we reached the park, Kailin had talked Colby into switching with her. That left Kailin with the potentially passable as unisex red pair with the grey stripes and Colby with the most definitely feminine green pair with tiny flowers. He didn't care - so neither did we.

We got just a small piece down the path when it became clear that the jackets were going to be necessary. Regrettably, all I'd been able to find for Colby was a tan jacket. More regrettably, when I put it on him, I found it to be short. Even more regrettably, it and his tan pants clearly did not match and he had on grey socks (he'd stepped in smeared strawberries with his white ones at lunch and I'd had no choice). Combined with the girls' sunglasses he looked like, well, a dork. I said to Steve, "Look at our son. He looks like such a..." and then Kailin interjected, "Dude. He looks like a dude, Mom." And look like a dude he did!!

No wet meat!

Colby can't say pants. I'm not sure why. I'm not even sure (truthfully) if I've blogged about it before. Anyway, pez he can say, pizza he can say (although it used to be beeba), but pants and please elude him still. Please comes out "meeeeeee" and pants....well....pants come out "meat". Every time. Meat.

I got him out of bed on Saturday morning and asked if he'd wet through. He looked right at me, shook his head, and declared. "No...wet....meat!!!" He was so serious that I had to stifle my laugh. Then I secretly reported to Steve and we laughed in the corner over it!

The day before yesterday he put a new spin on it. He declared "poopy meat" several times throughout the day. I am glad he's now letting me know that he needs a change (because it both signifies the beginning of a desire (I hope) to potty train and also because he's starting to string more words together), the thought of poopy meat made me envision a breaking news story about some kind of e. coli outbreak within the confines of my house or something. Anyway, I laughed in the corner again.

The last Colby story for the day is that I put him on the phone with my mom the other night. I laughed out loud when I heard that his whole end of the conversation was going to be "yup. yup. yup. yup. yup. yup. yuv you, BYE!" What a silly little goose.

Gotta just love him.

A little run-in with Johnny Law....

Last Friday was going to be beautiful, so I thought I'd take the kids to the zoo. Unfortunately, I failed to remember that it was the last day of Spring Break for about four counties worth of kids. As we approached the zoo we came to a halt amidst tons of other cars (mostly minivans) obviously headed for the zoo as well. As we sat in line to get into the zoo and I thought about just how zooey it was going to be, it came to me that maybe Kailin would be willing to change our plans. I didn't want to upset her, but I didn't think the kids would even be able to see any of the animals with that much of a crowd. I suggested that we go surprise Nai Nai (my mom) at work and then see if she wanted to join us for a picnic and some fun at the park. Kailin loved the idea and off we went. My mom was truly surprised and showed off her grandkids in true form.

I told her we'd meet her back at her house and I guess Kailin overheard me. She said, "Hey Nai Nai - you wanna race?" while making her eyebrows go up and down real fast. I laughed SO hard!! I snapped the picture above while we waited for her to come home.

We had a little lunch and were off to the playground. The kids had a blast and Kailin was asleep by the time we hit the freeway to come home. We stopped off at the grocery store to get a few things - and some supplies for a picnic I was planning for us for Saturday.

On the rural highway I take to get to our house, less than five miles from home, I saw a police officer headed toward me and glanced down at the speedometer. Then I saw him pull to the side of the road (lights off) and whip a u-ey (lights now on). I knew immediately it was for me. Of course Kailin started in right away asking what was going on....so I explained that Mommy was going too fast and the police officer was going to come and talk to us. Thankfully, he was a great guy and only gave me a warning (10 over in a 55mph zone). He gave the kids police badges and sent us on our way. I've (knock on wood) never had a speeding ticket, so I was really thankful for the warning - and for the reminder to pay attention and protect those kiddos I love so much!!

Egg! More Egg!!! Open!!!!!!

Okay, it's a little late.... I was waiting until the pictures were on this computer, and then the week just got away from me.

It was surely an Easter to remember. We all began the day (and all unwillingly so) at 3am. Colby awoke screaming (I think he'd been laying on his stomach and right now that is not a good option). By the time I got him changed and settled he'd woken Kailin. She immediately began interrogating me regarding whether we were going to church or Nai Nai's church and if we went to Nai Nai's church would Nai Nai be there or would she be at our church and were we going to Nai Nai's house after church and would the Easter bunny be there.... so I told her we could discuss it all in the morning, it was the middle of the night and she should go back to sleep. If only.... the kids stayed awake and busied themselves bickering over which color stars they should have (their turtle night light offers 3 options) until Steve went in and turned it off entirely which elicited MANY cries of protest. Then Colby was entirely convinced that he had lost Kiki or Froggy (which he pronounces "FRO-Gee") when in fact upon closer inspection he had one clenched in each little fist. Then he banged on the wall (directly behind my head) for awhile. Then I think I did actually doze for about 15 minutes and then my alarm went off at 5:30 and it was time to get up. I showered and went to get the kids up so they could see their Easter baskets. Lo and behold, Colby was asleep. I decided to let him sleep (as much as the mean mom in me wanted to wake his sorry butt up) awhile longer.

Kailin loved her Easter baskets (one from the big bunny and one from Steve's parents), and the pinwheel was her favorite. I hustled her through breakfast and took her back upstairs to spray her off in the shower. Colby woke up and was not any too happy about it. I got him dressed and sent him downstairs with Steve. I could hear the call of "TIH-TAC!!!!!!!!" from downstairs signalling that he'd gotten into his Easter baskets as well. I had Steve grab some shots while we girls finishing dolling ourselves up.

We attended church at my "home church" in Waukesha. It was so nice to go back and sing the same songs I sang every Easter for the first 20 or so years of my life - and hear the trumpets blast as we shouted good tidings of "He is risen!" The kids behaved pretty well in church and then it was off to Nai Nai's.

The kids had an absolute blast hunting for Easter eggs in the yard. Colby took to it right away and although I told Kailin to make sure to leave some for her brother, I guess I need not have. Not only did he keep up (unless one broke open - then we had a chorus of "boking!! Egg boking!!!" followed by a harried effort to rescue the contents from the grass), but Kailin repeatedly picked up an egg and then ran it over to her brother. Considering the lack of rest we had, it was nothing short of a MIRACLE that we had no fights of any kind during the event and I absolutely reveled in hearing Kailin delightedly shout "Another egg! I see more!" and Colby's sweet little voice plaintively calling, "Egg!!! More Egg!!! Open!!!!" I could just have scooped both of them up and smooshed them.

We had a wonderful Easter dinner followed by naps for the kids (wish there'd been some for the adults!), some more play time, and then we headed home. Everyone had far too much sugar - but if not on Easter, then what better day is there?

I'm so blessed to have a Savior whose death and resurrection made this wonderful day possible - and blessed to have such a wonderful family to have shared it with.